Tension device.



No. 64u86.' Patented Feb. 27, |900.

- E. ROBERTS.

TENSION DEVICE. f

(Application led Aug. 16, 1899.)

(N9 Model.)

U?) Edward RQTS.' 76' 5y wwf MM5 A TTH/VEY.-

- which are made a part hereof and on which `ably composed of a singlewire.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD ROBERTS, OF BROWNSBURG, INDIANA.

TENSION DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming vpart of Letters Patent No. 644,1"86, datedFebruary 27, 1900.

I Application filed August 16,1899.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brownsburg, in the county of Hendricks and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

As is well known, the varying conditions of the weather cause the wirescomposing the strands of wire fence to expand or contract more or less,and some of the wires are affected to a greater degree than others.Under such conditions the strain on the fence. posts is not an equalone, and this is more especially the case when the wires are in acontracted state, thus causing the posts to be pulled out of line andloosened.

The principal object of my said invention, therefore, is to provide ameans for equalizing the strain to which such wires are subject, as willbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed. A

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure l is a sideelevation of a section of fence of the character in question in whichthe various wires are provided with tension devices embodying my presentinvention; Fig. 2, a view, on a larger scale, of one side of the tensiondevice separately as it appears when free or nearly free from strain;and Fig. 3, a similar view of the same when under strain, as when thewires attached thereto are in a state of contraction.

The posts P and wires Ware or may be in themselves such posts and wiresas are com-` monly used in wire fences and will not therefore be furtherdescribed herein except incidentally in describing the invention.

The tension device is in the main prefer- It begins at the point l,thence continues in the form of a spiral spring 2, thence by a member 3to one end t of the structure, where it bends around and preferablymakes a single coil, thence by a side member 5 past the end of thespring 2 to the other end 6 of the tension de- Serial No. 727,439. (Nomodel.)

vice, where it is similarly bent as at the Iirst end, and thence by aside member 7 back to said first end, into the loop of which the wireend engages and where it terminates, as at 8.

As a support for the coiled spring which exerts the tension force Iprovide a doubled wire 9, which passes over one of the side wires at itsmiddle portion, the ends passing through the coiled spring alongside theother side wire, where said ends are preferably bent outwardly, thuspreventing the escape of the staypiece 9. v

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A tension device consisting of a wire structure the ends whereof areadapted to be attached to the article to be held under tension, elasticsides extending between said ends, and a spring between said elasticsides whereby they are held distended except when forcibly drawn towardeach other by the tension of the parts attached thereto.

2. A tension device composed of a single wire one end of which is formedinto a coiled spring, a portion which runs thence to the end of thedevice, thence returning to the other end of the device, thence backagain to the first end of the device where it is secured, thecoiled-spring portion being arranged between the two portions which runfrom end to end of the device, substantially as shown and described.

3. A tension device comprising a spring 2, suitable ends to which thedevice to be placed under tension is connected, side wires runningbetween the ends and past the ends of the spring, and a staypiece loopedover the side wires and passing through the spring whereby the latter isheld in position, subtantially as shown and described.

In-witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 14th day of August, A. D. 1899.

EDWARD ROBERTS. [L. s] Witnesses:

.JAMES A. WALSH,

C. S. FRYE.

